title: Use useTemplateRef for Template Refs in Vue 3.5+ impact: MEDIUM impactDescription: Legacy ref pattern is error-prone due to name matching requirement type: best-practice tags: [vue3, vue35, template-refs, useTemplateRef, composition-api]
Use useTemplateRef for Template Refs in Vue 3.5+
Impact: MEDIUM - Before Vue 3.5, template refs required declaring a ref() with a name exactly matching the template's ref attribute. This fragile connection breaks silently during refactoring. Vue 3.5's useTemplateRef() eliminates this issue with explicit binding and better TypeScript support.
The legacy pattern causes no errors or warnings when names don't match - the ref simply stays null, leading to confusing debugging sessions.
Task Checklist
- Use
useTemplateRef('ref-name')in Vue 3.5+ projects - The first argument must exactly match the ref attribute value in the template
- IDE support provides auto-completion for available ref names
- TypeScript automatically infers the element type
Incorrect (Legacy Pattern):
<script setup>
import { ref, onMounted } from 'vue'
// FRAGILE: Variable name MUST match template ref value exactly
const input = ref(null)
// DANGER: After refactoring, names may not match
const inputElement = ref(null) // Renamed variable...
onMounted(() => {
// NO ERROR - just silently null!
inputElement.value?.focus() // Does nothing
})
</script>
<template>
<!-- But template still uses old name -->
<input ref="input" />
</template>
<script setup>
import { ref } from 'vue'
// TYPO: 'inupt' instead of 'input' - no warning!
const inupt = ref(null)
</script>
<template>
<input ref="input" />
<!-- inupt.value will always be null -->
</template>
Correct (Vue 3.5+):
<script setup>
import { useTemplateRef, onMounted } from 'vue'
// CORRECT: Explicit binding - argument matches template ref
const inputElement = useTemplateRef('my-input')
onMounted(() => {
inputElement.value?.focus()
})
</script>
<template>
<!-- ref name is explicitly connected via useTemplateRef argument -->
<input ref="my-input" />
</template>
<script setup>
import { useTemplateRef, onMounted } from 'vue'
// BENEFITS:
// 1. Variable name is independent of ref attribute
// 2. IDE auto-completes available ref names
// 3. TypeScript infers correct element type
// 4. Typos in argument cause visible errors
const searchInput = useTemplateRef('search-box')
const submitButton = useTemplateRef('submit-btn')
onMounted(() => {
// TypeScript knows these are HTMLInputElement and HTMLButtonElement
searchInput.value?.focus()
submitButton.value?.disabled = false
})
</script>
<template>
<input ref="search-box" type="search" />
<button ref="submit-btn">Submit</button>
</template>
Limitation: v-for Refs
useTemplateRef() does NOT work with v-for refs. You must use the legacy ref() pattern for collecting multiple element references in a loop.
<script setup>
import { ref, onMounted } from 'vue'
// CORRECT: Legacy pattern required for v-for refs
const itemRefs = ref([])
onMounted(() => {
// itemRefs.value is an array of DOM elements
itemRefs.value.forEach(el => {
console.log(el.textContent)
})
})
</script>
<template>
<ul>
<li v-for="item in items" ref="itemRefs" :key="item.id">
{{ item.text }}
</li>
</ul>
</template>
Why this limitation exists: When using v-for, Vue populates the ref with an array of elements. The useTemplateRef() API was designed for single element references and does not support the array population mechanism that v-for requires.
Migration Guide
<!-- BEFORE (Vue < 3.5) -->
<script setup>
import { ref } from 'vue'
const myElement = ref(null) // Name must match template
</script>
<template>
<div ref="myElement"></div>
</template>
<!-- AFTER (Vue 3.5+) -->
<script setup>
import { useTemplateRef } from 'vue'
const element = useTemplateRef('my-element') // Any variable name
</script>
<template>
<div ref="my-element"></div>
</template>